Improvement in lump-tobacco machines



3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. P. WOOLDRIGE, J. F. NYSTR'OM .an L.

D. HOWARD.

. Lump Tobacco Machine. N o. 204,871.

Patented June 11, 1878.

. 3,Sl1ee ts-Sheet;3. J. P. WOOLDRIG'E, J. F. NYSTROM 8u L. D. HOWARD.

Lump Tobacco Machine. No. 204,871. Patented June 11, 1828.

" wnuessis; l

N.FETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON D C UNrrnD STATES-PATENT Outros.

JOSEPH F. WOOLDRIGE, JOHAN F. NYSTROM, AND IiYlVIAN D. HOWARD, OF

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LUMP-TOBACCO MACHINES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No, 204,871, dated June 11,1878; application filed April 9, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, JOsErH FLOOD WOOL- Dnrcu, JOHAN FREDRIOK NYs'rnoM, and LYMAN DEAN HOWARD, of Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State. of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Making Plug-Tobacco; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in whichof construction and arrangement, as hereinaf- Figure lis a front elevation with a portion ter more fully described, and pointed out in of the table broken away. Fig. 2 is avertical ythe claims.

In the drawing, B represents the table, ar-

longitudinal section through line m x of Fig.

ranged upon a rectangular frame. A A are 3; Fig. 3, an end elevation; Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section through' line y y of Fig. 1. the heads, of which A is arranged above the Fig. 5 is a plan view; and Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, table, and A below the same, the said heads 11, and l2 are details.

Our invention relates to means for making plug-tobacco, designed more particularly for giving an initial pressure to the iiller or body of the plug before the binder or wrapper is put on, and for discharging said lumps continuously andlconsecutively from the machine without loosening, breaking, or destroying in any way the integrity of the lump, which, after bein g provided with a wrapper and dried, is subjected to aheavy final pressure in another machine. This giving to the lump aninitialpressure reduces its bulk and involves a saving in wrappers by requiring aless quantity ofthis expensive stock, and also makes a plug of more homogeneous color, thepressure being so controllable as to prevent discoloration due to oversqueezing or the squeezing out of the flavor- 1n g, which discoloration is a great objection in light-colored tobacco, and is difficult to obviate when pressure is applied before drying.

The general construction of the machine for `effecting the pressing of the lump is that in which an upper head is rigidly connected with a lower head, and a movable platen arranged between, to be operated by toggle arms to force the platen up to secure the requisite pressure.

Our improvements consist in the particular arrangement and adaptation to a table of the said heads, toggle-arms, and movable platen, in the construction ofthe heads, and the combination, with the same, of removable frames corresponding thereto for compressing the tobacco, and removable frames for receiving the compressed plug;l in the means for discharging the lumps from the machine as fast -as they are formed; in the means for advancing or lifting the containin g-frames simultaneously with the platen to bring it iiush with and tight against the hollowr head through which the plug is discharged; and in other minor details Figs. land 2, or by side pieces cast with the two heads, as may be desired.

vMoving vertically between the two heads is the platen D, Figs. 2 and 4, which vis oonnected to the lower head A' by the toggle-arms E E, and to the rear abutment F by the second set of toggle-arms G G. This platen has a movement up through ka corresponding opening in the table, and is guided during said movement in true vertical line by means of to the platen 'arranged in said tubes, and having rubber buer-springs I, to arrest the downward movement of the platen. g

To operate this platen with an up-and-down movement, a treadle, G', is hinged to the back portion of the frame or the abutment F, and is connected through rod g with the center joint of the-toggle-arms G G, so that as the treadle is depressed from the front the toggles G G and E E are spread out and the platen elevated upon its guides. To bring down the platen again and restore the treadle yto its normally-elevated position, a semi-elliptical spring, Z, is arranged 'in the rear portion of the frame-work, and is connected with the treadle by rod z.

V are the press-frames. These consist of closed and their tops and bottoms open. In these frames are arranged wooden strips t for containing the tobacco, removable platen being strongly connected by tie-rods C C,

the telescopic guides H, consist'ng of Itubes attached to the lower head and rods attaehedw`-f\ rectangular boxes having their sides and ends platen may enter the same and operate upon ble and interchangeable.

Y made in two parts-a hollow rectangular part,

by binding-screws d, which receiving-frame is toothed cam, Q, on a longitudinal rock-shaft,

of a lever, L', Figs. 3, l1, l2, which lever is and metal strips c', between which, and in the tie-rods C in its vertical reciprocation. The Contact with the wooden strips, the tobacco, upper portion of this frame, at each cnd,1s eX- after being weighed, is placed. The frame is tended through the tables at the ends of the open space for the platen, and said ends ofthe then placed beneath the upper head A, an(

through which the platen rises, so that the the tobacco to press it. These frames :are made interchangeable, and have one, two, or more compartments, according to the size of plug to be made. For every different form of frame a similar form of platen is provided, having faces which correspond to and enter L1, and 1n drawing down said frame causes its arms L2 to strike upon the lugs l of the frame V and pull it with its elevating-rods S down. Upon the sameshaft J is arranged a second grooved cam, M, Figs. 3, ll, 12, whose groove opens upon the opposite side from K, and in which plays the end of an arm, N2, which is rigidly fastened to a longitudinal rock-shaft, N, journaled in hangers from the table. At each end of this rock-shaft are rigidly attached arms T, which extend up In constructing the upper head A, 1t 1s through slots in thetable. Tothe ends ofthese a, having supporting-feet resting upon the table, and an upper cap-piece, b, recessed upon its under side throughout its length, so as to leave, when applied to the part a, a horizontal slot, through which a plunger is designed to work to discharge the plug. In the portion a of the head is arranged a rectangular relnoving-frame, c, secured in place operates the plunger U. is a detent, pivoted to the table immediately above the treadle, and held by a spiral spring, X2, to a position which causes it tostop the upward movement of the treadle. This detent is removed from the range of the treadlc by a bar, X', bent around a cam, W, on the shaft J.

Y is an adjustable block, fastened to the they conform exactly.

In pressing the tobacco, as the plugs are to be forced up into the hollow portion a of the head before delivery, the frame V must be held tightly up against the portion a of the head just at this time. To effect this result, a pawl-arm, R, Fig. 4, is ixed to the bolt-rod, connecting toggles E E to toggles G G, so that as the toggles are spread to lift the platen this pawl is made to engage with a ed steps, either of which may be brought beneath the detent to stop the treadle at ditferent points.

The various parts of themachine havin gbeen 'properl y timed as to their ofces, their conjoint operation is as follows: Aframe, V, having' been filled with tobacco, is placed above the platen table and bear againstthe lower sides of the on the table and the treadle depressed. The ends of the frame V, tiforce the latter up lower surface of the head. As the platen moves up through the frame V it pushes the compressed plug up into the receiving-frame brought down again. c, which latter is, when the machine is first The devices for discharging the plug and pulling down the frames will now be described.

J is` a transverse shaft, arranged in bearings at the end of the table-frameand adapted 4to be rotated by a crank, j. Upon this shaft is fixed a grooved cam, K, in the groove of which is arranged a pin attached to the end by the swinging detent X, which reheves somethen turned a whole revolution, which, through pivoted at lts opposite end to the framework, and in its center is pivoted to a yoke-shaped frame, L. This frame has its ends perforated and arranged to slide upon and be guided by ing at the same time also, through cam M, the plunger U to pass laterally through the slot in the head and discharge the strip above the treadle G, which block is provided with gradwhat the pressure of the platen. `Crankj is v formed, and when making light-pressed lumps the hollow head is blocked up by strips, so that practically it is not hollow, and the discharging-plunger is adjusted to play at right angles just beneath the head. Now, whenI a frame with its contents is fitted against the practically solid head, theflump receives but one pressure, and the frame is pulled down by the devices hereinbefore describedj ust low plug upon the raised platform in the rear, the pressure vupon the plug being sufficiently relieved by the partial retraction of the treadle and platen. At the end of the revolution of shaft J the cam W presses against the curved end of bar X1, and by pulling off the detent X from the treadle allows the platen t0 descend to allow the lateral removal of the frame V and the insertion of another. Then, as the next movement of the plunger discharges the first-formed plug of tobacco, which plugs are then successively discharged with'their alternating strips as fast as the operation of the machine is repeated, the said head A and receiving-frame o being designed to contain a held between the platen in theframe and the wooden strips in the head. The plunger is arranged in guides in the side of the head A,

If desired, the machine can be adapted to be run by power by substituting for the treadle a shaft having a fast and loose pulley and connecting the same by'am or crank with the system of toggle-arms.

As a modification, also,"-of the means of applying power, the guide-tubes H and slide-rods may be adapted for use as acylinder and piston or ram for either steam or hydraulic pressure.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is` l. The combination, with a movable platen and a head to form an abutment, of the removble frame V, having the within-described or equivalent lifting devices to adjust it against the head, and a plunger arranged to .operate at right angles to the line of pressure, as set forth. A

2. The combination of the hollow head A, the platen D, and the removable frame V, the distance between the bottom of the hollow catches and levers have beveled faces, which are struck by the tappets L2 of the verticallyreciprocating yoke-shaped frame. As the tappets L2 descend with the frame V the beveled faces of the levers g/are struck by said tappets and the catches projected so as to rest beneath and support the metallic strips beneath the plug, which has been left in the receiver c. As, however, the tappets rise with the elevation of the platen for the compression of another plug, the tappets strike the beveled faces which the catches previously held.

ith respect to the construction of the plunger it will be seen that the guideways in the head in which it moves are arranged midway between the upper and lower faces of the portion a, so that the plunger may operate at the top of the same through the slot, or below the portion a and between the saine and the frame V, according to whether heavy or light pressed tobacco is being made. When the upper head is arranged with its lower edge a slightly-greater distance from the table than the.. thickness of the frames V, it will be seen that there is sufficient room between the table and the head for the play of the frames V in being lifted to fit against the head to register with the same, and alternately r pulled down again. This fitting ofthe frames against the head is always necessary to secure the even passage of the lump from the frame to the head when heavy-pressed lumps are being formed, and to form an abutment for the frame when light-pressed lumps are being made. The down pull, however, is only necessary when lightpressed lumps are being 3. The combination, with the table having head A above and head A below the same, connected together, substantially as described, of the platen D, togglearms E E, secondary toggles G G, treadle G', connecting-rod g, and a lifting-spring for the treadle, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the removable frames V, of the lifting device for the same, consisting of the rods S, rock-shaft O, cam Q, and-pawl arm R, located upon the togglejoint, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the head A, the removable frame V, and the plunger U, constructed and arrangedfas described.

6. The combination, with the plunger U, of Y the links t, arms T, rock-shaft N, arm N 2, and cam M, located. on shaft J, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. The combination, with the frames V, having lugs or projections upon the ends thereof,

ofthe vertically-movin g frame L, having horihead and the top of the table B being greater j zontal ta-ppets L2, adapted to en gage with the lugs on the frames, the lever L1, and cam K,

located on shaft, substantially as described.

8. The sliding cintchesf, mounted on levers q pivoted to the upper head, combined with tthe vertically-moving tappets L2, and adapted to sustain the plugs in the hollowr head, sub

stantially as described.

9. The swinging detent X, combined with the curved bar X, cam W, and treadle Gr', as

described.

10. The adjustable block Y, having steps,

combined with the treadle and the swinging detent, as and for the purpose described.

The above specification of our iuventio signed by us this 7th day of February, A. D. 1878. f JOSEPH FLOOD WOOLDRIGE. JOHAN FREDBlOK NYSTROM. LYMAN DEAN HOWARD.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL P. WADDILL, GEO. W. CARTER. 

